Baby shower ideas for every budget

There’s a downpour of blessings and you can’t wait to welcome your bundle of joy into this world. But, before you do, you’re probably stumped with just how to ring in the celebrations. Don’t worry, we have you covered. Here are some trending shower ideas that fits a theme, and more importantly, won’t necessarily burn a hole in your pocket.

Time honored traditions

A traditional baby shower or godh bharai, as popularly called in India, is a ceremony that is celebrated to shower blessings to the mum-to-be. Along with the blessings, it is a joyous occasion where close relatives and friends come together to celebrate the new life that is about to be brought into this world. Godh bharai quite literally means ‘filling the lap’ of the expectant mother with abundance and joy, and is usually celebrated in the seventh month of pregnancy.

GAMES:

To make the function fun and exciting, you can indulge guests with some games to keep them entertained. For example, your guests could guess the girth of the mother’s belly with the help of a ribbon. The closest match can be announced as the winner. Another game could be to remember the baby items passed around in a tray. Simple games like passing the parcel and musical chairs can also add loads of fun to ceremony.

DECORATION:Karishman Gowani, owner of Millk, Mumbai, says, “The classic godh bharai has its own charm with traditional hand-crafted lamp shades and jhula (swing) for the mum-to-be.” You can decorate the jhula with cute baby products or just go with the classic floral decoration. Make sure the jhula has a proper backrest for the mother and this is where the traditional puja can also be done, where everyone could bless the mother and the baby. Another exciting way to do up the place is by placing childhood pictures of the expectant parents all over the walls. They will be overwhelmed. You could also use a mother’s favourite toys, books or clothes from her childhood to decorate the venue.

PARTYFAVOURS:
As a token of remembrance, providing your guests with a souvenir would be a nice gesture. You can get some dupattas and bangles for the women, as this is something everyone likes to wear. You could set up a photo booth where all the guests get an opportunity to be clicked with the mum-to-be. Towards the end of the ceremony, guests could collect the pictures along with a decorative frame. They can cherish this memory forever.

Get ready to set sail with your guests and have a contemporary, yet chic baby shower. The nautical theme seems to be everyone’s favourite and is a huge hit with every first-time mother. The reason is its classic red, navy blue and white colour scheme. Make a customised anchor-shaped invitation that will welcome everyone aboard.

GAMES: Afra Kochra, co-owner, Kiddiegram, says, “For the games, you can use the following ideas like, change a doll’s diaper blindfolded in the shortest time, memory game with baby items, decorating bibs and message in a bottle where you get the guests to put in some useful advice in the bottle for the mum-to-be.”

FOOD:
Food plays a major role in any celebration. Always decide the menu based on the theme chosen for a particular occasion. Afra further adds, “There are a lot of snacks that you can serve adhering to the theme. For example, potato boats, sea shell pasta, fish n chips, seaweed dip, submarine sandwiches and seamosas, are just some options.”

PARTYFAVOURS:
Some options for party favours could be: Afra says, “We gave out bottles of shower gel with the caption, ‘From our shower to yours.’ Other options include, anchor-shaped cookies, bath sea salts packed in glass bottles or scented soaps shaped as starfish or other underwater creatures.

DECORATION:
A nautical baby shower theme offers personalised banners, table decorations in the same navy blue and red colours, as the invitation. You can have the signature anchor decoration all around the place. On the table you can place personalised placemats and candy centerpieces. Custom, colourful ceiling decorations will accentuate the place and highlight the theme.

Ritika Nangia, founder, Funcart.in, says, “For an afternoon and evening filled with elegance, laughter and understated glamour, Vintage is the perfect theme. A vintage-themed garden party is easy to plan and has an unparalleled charm, with minimal preparation.” Going vintage means an elegant affair with the perfect décor, food, favours and games, well within your budget.

GAMES:
Ritika suggests, “You can add a twist to the vintage games like baby shower bingo, a hula hoop contest or pin the diaper on the baby are some of the delightfully nostalgic games that will zing up your vintage garden party.”

FOOD:
Afra suggests, “Since it’s hi-tea, you would not be required to serve lunch or dinner but rather evening snacks. In this case cocktail, bite-sized dishes would be appropriate. For example cucumber sandwiches, scones, cheese platters or individual servings of assorted desserts like profiteroles, cookies or mini cupcakes. You could have a DIY tea or coffee station where the guests could prepare a hot beverage they’d like to sip on.”

PARTYFAVOURS:
“Some options are Vintage-themed lace punched gift tags, leather luggage tags, personalized calligraphy notes, handmade chocolates and exotic teas are some of the great ideas to pamper guests and help them remember your soiree for a long time to come,” says Nikita. Other return gift items according to Afra are, scented candles, pot pourri pouches and marmalade packed in mason jars.

DECORATION:

Ritika explains, “With a few well-placed props and décor items, the party can be a great success without burning a hole in your pocket. Items like vintage tableware, teacups and linen can easily be procured at a low cost from a local thrift shop or online shopping portals.” Vintage doesn’t necessarily mean decking up the location with pastels. Ritika advises that colours like turquoise and red can also be great options. To lay out the food, you can display a shabby chic table, sidetable or even a dresser. She further adds, “A vintage telephone, a leather suitcase or a gramophone are some inexpensive ways to create the illusion of a vintage affair.”

Beach bums

Another theme that is popular among the masses is the Beach Baby shower theme. With this particular theme you can experiment a lot with the colours and décor. It will certainly enliven the joyous occasion. Karishma enthusiastically says, “Beach baby shower is my personal favourite. The combination of teal, gold and white colours make the place look vibrant and extravagant.”

GAMES:
Some game options Karishma suggests are, a beach bag filled with baby products for a sensory game, make a doll ready for a beach party in under a minute and fill in coconut water in milk bottles and find out who finishes first. These games will certainly turn the heat up at your gathering. The best part is that all your family and friends would be rather excited to participate in these games.

FOOD:
Karishma suggests, “Jelly fish and starfish shaped sandwiches, cocktail umbrellas pinned over cupcakes or fruit tarts, non-alcoholic jello shots, coconut water and watermelon popsicles to beat the heat are some of the ideas that you can look through.”

PARTY FAVOURS:
A wooden crate filled sunglasses, striped hand towels, mini treasure chest filled with chocolate gold coins, shell or jelly candles, garlands and floral tiaras can make for some interesting giveaway options. The budget for the party favours can be above `350.

DECORATION:
This theme is ideal for both indoor as well as outdoors. You can add elements of dream catchers, fishing nets, shells, beach photo booth, props like sunglasses and hats. Karishma says, “Lifesized surf board titled ‘Baby On Board’ along with a vintage barrel and tree trunk labelled with the name of mum-to-be painted on it.” She further adds, “As you enter, a backdrop of a beach will be propped up for selfies to save memories forever. Tables will be lined with fish nets and shells as well as mason jars filled with summer flowers. Decorative includes colourful jellyfish, dream catchers and seaweed hanging from the ceiling.”

Reader Interactions

Comments

You’re so interesting! I don’t think I’ve truly read through something like that before.
So great to find somebody with a few original thoughts
on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up.
This web site is one thing that is required on the internet, someone with some originality!